Climate change is undoubtedly a challenge with deep - and increasingly complex - behavioural roots. High profile efforts are already underway in Canada through federal levers, like the carbon tax, energy efficiency regulations, and investments in clean technology, that further the Government of Canada's goals for decarbonization, electrification, energy-efficiency, and nature-based solutions. An additional tool to contribute to these efforts is evidenced-based, data-driven behavioural science…
Behavioural Insights Projects
Discover projects applying behavioural science to policy from around the world. Add your own projects, whether completed or still ongoing, to contribute knowledge on BI applications across different countries, policy areas, and topics of interest.
Number of BI projects:
0
Legend: Projects status
- Pre-registered project
- Completed project
This website, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
BETA partnered with the Department of Social Services to determine the effect of behaviourally-informed activity statements on gambling behaviour in a simulated game. We tested two activity statement prototypes and found participants who saw the activity statements bet less than those who did not. Showing participants clear and easy-to-understand information about their gambling activities empowered them to make informed decisions about how much to bet. This project was conducted under Measure 7…
BI Project
Evaluating the Impact of Communicating the Credit Card Statement on Financial Decisions:…
Chilean regulation establishes the format and content that financial providers must communicate to cardholders about their transactions throughout a monthly billing statement. Although this information is relevant for making decisions, comparative evidence indicates that people have difficulty understanding and making informed decisions.
This study shows qualitative and experimental evidence about the impact of Credit Cards Statements on consumers' repaying decisions. The study considers the…
BI Project
Fewer dangerous situations for cyclists: how to promote safe cycling in cities in Noord-Brabant?
Five large cities in Noord-Brabant and the provincial authorities investigated how to improve cycling safety through behavioural interventions. They placed signs and markings along cycle routes in 's-Hertogenbosch, Breda, Eindhoven, Helmond and Tilburg. Half of the interventions had an effect; the number of dangerous situations decreased.
Why this experiment was conducted: redesigning road layouts is not always possible
Six locations in towns and cities in Noord-Brabant were identified as…
Challenge
Tax delinquencies are a major problem for most tax administrations in the world. In Colombia, the National Accountant Office estimated the total outstanding debt to the National Tax Agency at $2.5 billion, which represents about 20 percent of estimated total tax evasion in 2014. Finding ways to reduce tax delinquencies is critical for both fiscal and equity considerations. A previous study compared messages about due liabilities delivered through three channels (letter, email, or…
BI Project
Generating more enthusiasm for teacher training programmes: How to get students more interested in…
In this experiment, various emails were sent to students in senior general secondary education (HAVO) and preuniversity education (VWO) to inform them about open days of teacher training programmes. The subject line that most caught their attention was ‘Are you looking for job security, challenge and a wide range of career opportunities?’ as well as a subject line in which a role model was introduced. Where emails mention teachers' starting salaries, students most often click links to more…
This study examined how people respond to a new income plan for retirement, known as a Comprehensive Income Product for Retirement (CIPR). A CIPR is a composite retirement income product which is intended to provide a balance of income, risk management (for example, longevity risk management) and flexibility to retirees. In response to a Financial System Inquiry1 recommendation, the Government has agreed to facilitate superannuation trustees pre-selecting a CIPR for their members at retirement.…
In partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU) has launched a multi-year program of research on climate change. The Program of Applied Research on Climate Action in Canada (PARCA Canada) combines behavioural science (BeSci) insights and methods with robust policy analysis to promote climate action. One of the main areas of focus involves the launch of a longitudinal survey that will, over time, collect…
Tax amnesties, a limited-time opportunity for a specified group of taxpayers to pay a defined amount of tax liabilities, are broadly used across countries because they generate short-term revenue gains. However, evidence suggest that tax amnesties fail to have long-term effects, and in some cases, they generate negative effects on compliance. With the goal of evaluating the impact of tax amnesties, this experiment relies on the behavioral principle of limited attention and redesigns the…
The problem
Missed appointments are a significant cost to the health care system, and patients who do not attend appointments miss out on valuable care.
What we did
We partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services and several health services to improve patient communications as part of a new Communications Toolkit for health services.
To understand what works, we designed a range of behaviourally-informed SMS reminders and letters to reduce the number of patients who do not attend…